1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data updating method for updating data stored in an IC card or the like including new registration and additional registration through a network. More particularly, the invention relates to a data updating method and a data updating system which can perform updating by unmistakably specifying a device, and surely and safely without any human assistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when important data stored in an IC card (smart card) or other devices equipped with removable personal authentication functions, e.g., a network password, an electronic certificate, or information for single sign-on, is added, or when important information such as dial-up information, information in the IC card/smart card or a fingerprint collation token, or an expiration date is updated, either a method for first collecting the IC card to rewrite data and then returning it to a user, or a method for invalidating the card and issuing a new card where update data has been written to the user has been employed.
Though it is not a technology for updating important data used for personal authentication, in a conventional art regarding personal authentication, there is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-73571 “PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM, PERSONAL AUTHENTICATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM PROVIDING MEDIUM” (applicant: Sony Inc, inventors: Hideaki WATANABE et al.) laid open in Mar. 12, 2002.
This invention manages a personal identification certificate in a personal authentication system, which uses the personal identification certificate storing a template as personal identification data.
However, in the conventional data updating method inside the device equipped with the removable personal authentication function, collection/reissuance or new issuance takes time and labor, and the important data cannot be updated through the network without its leakage to the outside, consequently creating a problem of lack of convenience.